The construction of wood structures, such as furniture or building components, usually involves the use of nails, screws, or nuts and bolts for securing various portions in position. The finished product may then result in the appearance of unsightly and undesirable depressions which are usually preferably treated in some manner to present a more attractive appearance.
For example, a depression formed in a wooden construction, furniture or carpentry, after some components have been nailed together and the nails have been countersunk, or secured together by wood screws, has traditionally been filled in for concealment by the spreading of wood filler, putty, or caulking material over the depression with a putty knife. The spreading of filler material in this manner invariably results in the unsightly spreading of filler material over a wide area around the depression. Usually, and depending greatly upon the type of wood and filler material used, some of the constituents of the filler material will react with constituents of the wood to give a sullied and smeared appearance to the surface of the wood. The smeared surface then requires a great deal of treatment, usually by sanding over a very wide area, before the surface will again be presentable.
Usually, a carpenter or cabinetmaker will countersink a nail, or drill a beveled hole before attaching a screw. Then, after the nail or screw is secured, a small space remains between the top of the nail or screw and the level surface of the wood structure. The carpenter or cabinetmaker fills in this depression with some type of filler material, initially slightly higher than the surrounding surface. After the filler material dries, the woodworker sands the surface smooth and clean. As described above, the traditional procedure is to sand the entire surface in order to achieve a uniform surface.
In fairly recent times, various tools have been developed for guiding a paint material or filler material along and into chosen surfaces and depressions of a structure. I have found in the prior art the following U.S. patents for various guiding tools:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. 1,851,497 Darling March 29, 1932 U.S. Pat. No. 2,212,073 Orth Aug. 20, 1940 U.S. Pat. No. 2,698,002 Thoss Dec. 28, 1954 U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,593 Tsunashima April 6, 1982 ______________________________________